Worrying new research into Antarctic ice shelves has uncovered a previously unknown source that’s hastening their decline.
What’s happening?
An article in EOS reported that researchers have been closely monitoring the base of the Ronne ice shelf for years. The scientists drilled a hole in the shelf using hot water to lower sensors to the bottom of the shelf.
They found that strong tides are a significant contributing factor to the shelves’ melting. As the foundations weaken, they lose their ability to prevent land ice from flowing into the ocean. High tides lead to friction and slow the current beneath the ice, making it warmer and hastening melting.
Why are ice shelves important?
In simple terms, ice shelves are large slabs of ice that float on the ocean, fed by glaciers and ice sheets. They act as a natural buffer for large ice sheets, slowing their flow into the sea and curtailing sea level rise. Most of them are found in the Antarctic. The largest, the Ross ice shelf, is about the size of France, per the USGS. They play a crucial role in protecting ice sheets and provide a vital habitat for penguins, as well as a breeding ground for krill that several species rely upon.
Arctic ice melt can disrupt food systems, increase the spread of disease, and cause higher tides during extreme weather events — leading to more damage and danger for communities.
If all ice shelves were to be lost, Antarctic wildlife would be wiped out, and sea levels would rise much faster. As NASA notes, the collapse of the Larsen B ice shelf in 2002 serves as a stark warning of the effects of warmer oceans. Rising ocean temperatures are the direct result of planet-heating pollution driven by human activity. They contribute to rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
The research deepens our understanding of the factors contributing to their decline and underscores the vital importance of taking action to preserve them.
What can be done to preserve ice shelves?
There’s no question that the only way to save ice sheets is to reduce harmful pollution dramatically. However, the current rate of reduction is inadequate, raising the question of the need for direct human intervention. Geoengineering is a controversial and not yet fully understood measure that may be needed to buy more time.
A 2025 study concluded that targeted interventions could contribute to slowing melt, but as part of a broader approach, not a direct replacement for cutting pollution. That wider effort is something we can all contribute to by adopting clean energy, raising awareness, and thinking carefully about the political candidates we support.
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